


The Family Business

by FantasyDreamer1



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-13
Updated: 2013-05-13
Packaged: 2017-12-11 17:55:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/801486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FantasyDreamer1/pseuds/FantasyDreamer1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Savannah hasn't always had the easiest life, but growing up a hunter, when is it? And when she suddenly feels saving people is pointless if she can't protect those closest to her, she gives up the lifestyle. But hunting is a part of her and she knows it's just a matter of time until it finds her again. But she didn't expect it to find her in the form of the Winchesters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Same Song, Different Verse

Waking up was not an easy task, especially not when one went to sleep three hours ago. The life of a hunter was not a glorious one, and Savannah had to quickly learn that at a young age. One went to sleep late and woke up early, sleeping in was a luxury and certainly happened less often than the girl would like. Beauty sleep was something she didn't get, though she wished she could. Except this particular morning, she should've been able to sleep in later than eight, and it took her a few moments to realize what had woken her.

_Dean._

The blonde girl cursed under her breath as the familiar tone of loud rock music reached her ears. She sat up in the bed before glaring at the male that sat at the table near the window. She would've assumed he hadn't meant to wake her on purpose if it weren't for the smirk so evidently in place upon his lips. Her blue eyes narrowed in a glare before she threw the covers off of herself and stomped across the motel room. She placed her hands on the back of the wooden chair he was sitting in before tipping it backwards, using the boy's weight as a disadvantage. He toppled backwards onto the carpeted floor and glared up at her.

She simply returned the smirk he had upon his face moments previous. She began to walk away, however, Dean had other plans. He reached a hand out and enclosed it around her ankle before jerking her foot out from underneath her and watching as she fell forward onto the ground, her palms catching the brunt of her fall. She quickly rolled over onto her back so she could see what Dean was planning and calculate her next move to defend herself. But before either of them could retaliate, a voice from the doorway caused them both to stand up quickly.

"I figured you'd still be sleeping, Little Bit?" John Winchester asked as he stepped in from the adjoining room.

Little Bit was a nickname John had been calling her since meeting the Reynolds family because she had been only ten when they met. It had been cute at that age, but now at the age of sixteen she hated it. She felt like it was more suited for a little girl in pigtails who played with _Barbie_ dolls and had tea parties not for someone who knew how to put together a gun in thirty seconds and could bring down things twice her size. She felt like she was still viewed as a child instead of the capable hunter she had become. It wasn't her fault she was the youngest one here; she didn't deserve to be treated like she couldn't carry her weight or help out.

At the question from John, she turned and glared at Dean beside her. He simply smirked. "I thought you'd like a little bit of music," He stated. John rolled his eyes before heading back into the room he had come from when he was called to check something out.

"Oh I bet you were just trying to be nice," The blonde girl stated before walking over to her small duffel bag that was sitting up against the wall. She ignored Dean's reply as she grabbed her clothes and headed into the bathroom in the motel room. She briefly wondered where her brother and Sam were, but assumed they had gone out to get some food, so she didn't worry about it.

Being sixteen, Savannah Jayde Reynolds didn't have a normal life. She didn't attend high school and she didn't live in a specific town. She traveled around a lot with her father and older brother and fought supernatural creatures because she was a hunter. She wasn't quite sure she could pinpoint the exact origin of when her family became hunters, but she was almost positive it had something to do with her mother.

Savannah could only remember a few, hazy details about the night her father took her and her brother and ran from their house. She remembered screams, her mother's, and she remembered waking up as her father grabbed her out of her bed. He didn't even take the time to put regular clothes on her. He just took off in the car and drove until he was about to pass out from lack of sleep. They stayed in motel rooms for a while until Alexander had secured a job a few states over. The disappearance of her mother was always something her father had been very vague about. He only gave her half truths whenever she asked. Whether he was trying to protect her from something, or just didn't want to remember himself, she didn't get a full answer when she asked him about it until the Winchesters came into their lives. John was able to give Alexander the answers they had been searching for.

Savannah's mother had been possessed by a demon and tried to kill the family, the details on why was a little fuzzy but that wasn't really important to her at that moment. Ever since, the two families had become close, the father's bonding over everything they had been through and taking comfort in the fact they weren't alone in their sufferings. John taught Alexander everything he knew about the hunting life, and Alexander vowed to protect whoever he could from demons and other creatures. The two families split ways because they could do more good that way, but had meant up several times to solve cases together.

As she stepped out of the shower and got dressed, she had to admit she loved hunting. She was saving people and protecting families from having what happened to hers happen to theirs. She enjoyed being the hero and able to save the day, helped her feel useful and needed. She didn't like the long nights and staying in hotel rooms or moving from town to town, but those were just minor details she quickly got over for the good of many. Of course, being only sixteen, there were times when she wished she lived in a normal life. Like, whenever they stayed in a town, the teenagers were always enrolled in school, and when they were Savannah wished they could stay just long enough for her to partake in a dance or prom. Little things, once again, but she couldn't help but want them; she was, after all, just a kid.

She stepped out of the bathroom wearing a pair of jean shorts and a pale green tank top and had to quickly dodge her brother who was walking past. She glared at the back of his head as he walked into the adjoining room their fathers shared.

"Food's here," Lucas called over his shoulder before disappearing.

As Savannah watched Dean and Sam take out their food from the fast food restaurant bag, her stomach grumbled. She was hungrier than she realized. She quickly crossed the room and grabbed her own food before it was all eaten. As she popped a french fry into her mouth, Lucas walked back into their room and set a piece of paper in front of her. She glanced at it for a moment before looking up at him, the question as to what it was clear in her eyes.

"That is your schedule for school," Lucas explained to her as he grabbed his own food before throwing the empty bag away.

"Excuse me? Did you just say school?" Savannah asked him, her blue eyes widening in surprise. "I thought we weren't gonna be in this town long enough for the need to go to school?" She questioned him. Lucas nodded.

"Right, but dad's guess of time was wrong. They're not even sure what the creature is at this point, so it could take a while. He wanted me to enroll you and Sam into school just in case. It's still Saturday, so we could still be outta here by Monday and you wouldn't have to go. It's just a precaution," He told her as he began to eat his food.

But unfortunately for her, and Sam, it wasn't just a precaution. Hunting the creature was taking longer than either of the two adults thought it would and that left Sam and Savannah to attend school since they were the only ones young enough to do so. Sam was eager to start school again, it made him feel normal. But Savannah hated it; she'd much rather be helping her father and John hunt. It's not that she hated school, it just made her realize all the things she couldn't have, like a normal life. And there was no point in dwelling on things that weren't going to happen, so she tended to avoid doing normal activities... and school was high on that list.

"Grumbling isn't gonna fix anything, Princess," Dean stated as he glanced at her through the rear-view mirror. He had volunteered to drop off her and Sam at the high school while Lucas picked up some books from the local library in the town.

"You shut up, Dean Winchester. I don't want to hear how I shouldn't complain about going to school when you complained about it every day until you finally got your GED," Savannah snapped. She was a hot head, and often times what came out of her mouth was a witty or sarcastic retort.

"Someone's in a foul mood," Dean responded causing the younger girl to glare hard at the back of his head, and her glaring never ceased until he had pulled up to the curb in front of the school to drop them off.

"I hate you," She muttered as she climbed out of the backseat of the 1967 Chevy Impala that John had allowed Dean to borrow for the morning. Dean simply smirked.

"I'll pick you two up after school," Dean said before driving off, leaving the two staring at the new school that would be apart of their lives for the next few days, maybe even weeks.

"Ready?" Sam asked the girl beside him. In response, she reached down and intertwined their fingers before they set off.

Truth be told, Savannah was scared to step foot in that building, she was terrified of starting over at a new school _again_. She didn't know how to live a normal life, and by extension she didn't know how to act normal or how to make friends. She failed in social settings because she wasn't around a lot of people, and the ones she was around weren't that great of examples to begin with. She hunted supernatural creatures, she couldn't exactly use that as a conversation starter. Vampires, werewolves and creatures of the night didn't scare her, but kids her own age did. Teenagers were a whole new kind of vicious that Savannah didn't want to deal with unless forced. And right now, she really wished she wasn't being forced. The worst part was, her and Sam weren't even in the same classes. Being two years younger than him meant she was a Sophomore and he was a Senior, and they wouldn't even have the same lunch period.

After finding out her locker number from the office, she parted ways with Sam and made her way to the first class of the day: English. Thankfully, this subject was Savannah's best one, so she wouldn't have to do too much thinking. She was the kind of girl who remembered most everything, and could pass a test without studying just by listening. But, she had the same mentality as Dean did when it came to school; they weren't gonna be around long enough for grades to count so why bother. So she didn't try. Sam, on the other hand, tried his hardest at everything he did because he wanted this life, he wanted to be normal.

She sighed as she thought about Sam before sitting down in a seat near the back of the classroom. No point in making yourself known. But of course, the teacher had other plans. As soon as the bell had rung signalling the beginning of class, he stood at the front of the room and began to talk.

"Welcome class," He said. "We have a new student today so if you'll all welcome Miss Savannah Reynolds and help make her transition an easy one." With that said, he began to move on to the lesson, but the damage had already been done.

Everyone had looked at where Savannah sat, where the teacher had pointed her out, and began the judging phase. The first impression never went well for Savannah, and people always made wrong accusations. High school sucked majorly, but there was nothing she could do except accept it until she graduated. She slowly sank down in her chair at the feeling of several eyes staring intently at her. The whispering began, and the harder she tried to block it out the louder it seemed to become. She shut her eyes for a moment to take a few deep breaths, willing herself to calm down. She was okay, it was just a classroom. She finally managed to calm herself, but it would've helped if she had had Sam there. He always made her feel better; he knew just what to say. Unfortunately her best friend was two years older than her, making school life very difficult.

The first few periods passed by without any embarrassments, except for needing help finding her next class both times. Lunch came quicker than she thought, and she quickly followed the crowd of hungry teenagers to the cafeteria. She got her food before sitting down at a table away from the students mostly because she wanted to be by herself and partly because she hadn't made any friends yet. But someone else seemed to have wanted to be friends because as soon as she had sat down, someone else slid into the seat beside her.

"Hey, you're the new girl, right?"

She glanced up to see a male about two years older than her. He had jet black hair that hung loosely around his face and stopped at the bottom of his ears. His pale green eyes were piercing and seemed to hold Savannah's gaze captive. He had a strong jawline and was well built, probably on the football or lacrosse team for the high school she was attending, the letterman jacket he wore confirmed he was an athlete here. Which begged the question of why was he talking to her of all people?

"Yeah, I'm Savannah," She stated, finally tearing her gaze away from his eyes and onto her tray of uneaten food.

"Name's Derek. Derek Riley," He said smiling at her, his tan skin making his teeth a bright white. "I just thought I'd introduce you formally to Bayville High," He added. She smiled back.

"Thanks. That's nice of you," She stated before glancing up at him quickly.

"It's my job to help out pretty girls," He told her with a wink, and Savannah felt her cheeks heat up as a blush crept onto her pale skin.

"Thanks," She repeated.

"Well, listen, I know this is really sudden, but I thought I'd inform you of the dance coming up this Friday night. It's really cool, it's in the school gym and everyone comes and it'll be fun. Think I might see you there?" He asked.

Savannah shook her head as she glanced at him. "No. I probably won't be in town that long," She told him, an apologetic tone in her voice. "I wish though." Riley's face fell a little at her words, and a frown crossed her pretty features.

"Well, a guy can still hope, right?" He grinned before standing up. "See ya round." And with that, he walked off.

Savannah blinked a few times, like she had just pulled herself out of a trance or something. Truth be told, she was just shocked someone had talked to her, let alone a appeared as if he was in the senior class. Everything through her for a loop, and she wasn't quite sure how to feel. But now more than ever, she really wanted to go to that dance. Call it a childish crush, but Riley was cute. She'd have to try her hardest to convince her dad to stay in town till Friday, just so she could attend the dance. Plus, she was positive Sam would back her up. He was always wanting to do normal things, and high school dances were a normal thing. Just not to them. As lunch ended and she headed to her next class, she decided she'd talk to Sam about it after school, since she was positive the two of them would be waiting for at least an hour until Dean picked them up. He tended to be late on purpose just to make the younger ones suffer.


	2. Do You Wanna Feel Like A Rebel?

"You're not going and that's final."

With that said, Alexander walked away from his daughter and into the room he shared with John. The adults always had a separate room to the four teenagers; they said it was because the teens made too much noise, but Savannah was pretty sure it was because they were talking about things that the 'kids' didn't need to know. Usually Savannah hated it because she wanted to know what they were talking back, but at the moment she was thankful for it. She was mad at her father for not letting her go, and she was glad he was in a different room. It was just one dance! Why was it such a hardship for her to go?

She groaned and sat down on the bed, upset and frustrated. The hunt the two adults were on had taken all week and they had just killed the creature a few hours previous. Being exhausted and tired, they decided it would be best if they stayed one more night in the town, to get some sleep, then head out in the morning. Savannah had been ecstatic because that meant she could go to the dance, which was later tonight. But when she asked her father, he had immediately shot her down, and didn't think twice about it. Sam hadn't even tried to help out; when she had brought him the idea about the dance five days ago to him, he told her it wasn't a good idea and they shouldn't ask.

She let out a frustrated, strangled cry before picking up a pillow beside her and tossing it across the room. She watched as it hit the wall then fell down onto the ground. She started to mumble under her breath, but stopped suddenly when an idea came to her. She pulled out her cell phone and sent a text to Derek, asking him if he could pick her up. Once the text was sent, she started to rummage through her clean clothes to see if she had anything that she could wear to a school dance. She only had one dress in her entire bag, and decided it would have to do. After laying the dress out on the bed, she headed into the bathroom to get ready.

Dressing up, wearing makeup and doing her hair had never been a favorite thing of Savannah's. It took too much time that she could be spending elsewhere, like reading up on the next case, or researching for the one they were currently on. Normally, she wore a little bit of makeup, and kept her hair in the state it was in when she woke up... which was naturally straight. She didn't see the point in bothering to pretty herself up if she was going to sweat it all off during a hunt. But going out to a dance involved a little more effort than just waking up and going as is.

Just as she finished her hair, or finished to the best of her ability, the display screen on her cell phone lit up, and she glanced over to see she had a text message. She set the curling iron down and clicked a button, allowing the message to show. It was from Derek, his answer to her text. She smiled and breathed a sigh of relief; one part of her plan to sneak out was completed. Now, she just had to actually sneak out. It was a lot easier task with all three of her roommates out getting food, Sam having only gone because he didn't want Savannah pulling him into the argument she was having with her father.

She quickly got dressed and after receiving another text from Derek, checked herself over in the mirror quickly to make sure she was ready to go. The dress she wore was pure white with thin straps. It fell about two inches above her knee with ruffles at the bottom and an empire waistline was apparent on the dress just underneath her ribcage. Her hair was curled slightly at the ends because it was the easiest part of hair to curl. It had been pulled half up into a messy bun on the top of her head, her bangs swept over to the side. She had added a little bit of pale blue eyeshadow and black eyeliner to the normal mascara she wore. Despite it being faded from her biting her lip in nervousness, red lipstick was also worn.

After checking herself over, she grabbed her cell phone and headed outside, after making sure the door to John and her father's room was closed. Derek was waiting in his sports car for her. She smiled, and pushed the butterflies down, as she got in. He returned her smile before driving off. After deciding she was going to the dance, whether her father would let her or not, she had texted Derek and asked for a ride. He had happily obliged. The ride was quiet for the first few minutes before he glanced over at her a moment then back at the road.

"You look pretty," He told her, and she blushed faintly.

"Thank you," She said quietly.

"So, I thought you were gonna be outta town before the dance, what changed your mind?" He asked her.

"My dad postponed our trip," She answered to him, the lie expertly rolling right off her tongue. She had gotten used to lying over the years. It came like second nature to her; sometimes it worried her how perfectly she could lie.

"You're living in a motel?" He asked next, just like she had assumed he would. She nodded her head, a lie already prepared.

"Yeah, we're moving into town but while our new house is being renovated we're staying in the motel," She told him.

"Oh, that's cool... where you guys moving to?"

"You know, I'm not really sure... I didn't get a chance to look at the address," She told him, which was better than trying to come up with a fake address.

Her father always told her and Lucas, "Don't lie unless you have to. You'll tell enough lies throughout your life while hunting so when the opportunity comes to not lie, take it. A lot easier than keeping up with more lies than you have to." so she told the truth now because it wasn't necessary to lie. He nodded his head in understanding at her not remembering the address.

"Took me three years to remember the address I live at now," He said before laughing, and she laughed along. "So where'd you live before here?"

"All over. My family moves quite a lot," She told him, which wasn't a lie either. "I was born in New York, though. Just a small town right outside the main city."

"I bet that was nice. How long'd you live there for?"

"Four years," She said. "We moved when my mother died. It was too hard on my dad to stay in the same place."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Derek said, a sympathetic smile on his face.

"I was really young and don't remember her much." She shrugged. She didn't remember much of her mother, and what she did remember she wasn't even sure was her mother. How long had the demon been possessing Vanessa? Savannah wasn't sure, and neither was her father or John. It hurt at times to realize the memories she had of her mother might be fake ones, but there was nothing she could do about it. So, she often pushed any all and memories away, better and easier to pretend her mother never existed than to hold onto false remembrances.

"My father died when I was really young, too. I understand," Derek said as he glanced at her and smiled once again.

She nodded her head and simply glanced outside the window, her nerves building the closer they got to the school. Derek seemed nice and really sweet, genuine, but how would he act around all his other friends? Would he ditch her to hang out with all the cooler kids he had known for years rather than spend his time with the new Sophomore? She tried to push the thoughts of worry away, but they seemed to build the more she tried. Finally, the thoughts ceased as Derek pulled up to the school parking lot.

As they got out of the car, Derek offered her his arm and she looped hers through his. They walked towards the school, and she knew it was only a matter of time before her father realized she was gone and sent Lucas or Dean after her. Better make the most of my time, she told herself as they entered the double doors of the gym. Since school that afternoon, it had been decorated. The lights were dimmed low, with colored lights swinging around the room from the projector in the middle of the gym. Blue and silver-the colors of the school-streamers hung from the ceiling. Tables had been set up on one side with the same colors covering them. Table centers were placed on the top as well. She found herself staring in awe at everything. It seemed like something straight out of a movie, and she was glad she had sneaked out.

After declining Derek's offer for a drink, he led her over to a group of students standing on the edge of the dance floor. He introduced her to them, and she realized they were his friends. A few girls she even recognized from her classes, and they didn't really seem all that happy to see her. They were each dressed in sparkly and shining dresses made appropriately for school dances, and the disapproving looks they gave her at her choice of clothing said they thought she wasn't good enough for them.

After several minutes of coaxing her, she agreed to dance a little, and so he led her out to the dance floor. As the slow song began, he placed a hand on her waist and led her through the dance. She found herself relaxing, and with that, moving closer towards Derek. Even with the faster songs that followed, she wasn't so nervous or on edge anymore. She had let go and was enjoying herself. But after eight songs, she had to take a break and excused herself from Derek to go find a table. He stayed out on the dance floor, and found a partner with one of the girls she had been introduced to earlier.

Only a few minutes after sitting down, one of Derek's friends-who he had introduced as Shane-came and sat down beside her, a drink in hand. His short blonde hair had been slicked off to the side, and his blue suit he wore made the blue in his eyes pop. He was just as solidly built as Derek was, only the persona he gave off wasn't as sweet Derek's.

He offered the drink to her. "You looked like you could use something to cool down with," He explained upon the questioning look she gave him at his offer.

After several seconds of debating it, she took the drink from him and took a sip. Being the daughter of a hunter, beer was a regular occurrence. And it wasn't that big of a deal if she had a few sips, her father would even offer her the beer at times. Even from just one sip, she could tell the fruit punch had been spiked with alcohol. However, since she was used to alcohol, it didn't bother her. And she knew if she just had this one drink it wouldn't hurt her. So she didn't think twice about it. After finishing the small cup, she smiled at him.

"Thanks," She said, and he grinned back.

"Anytime. So, how long you in town for?" He asked her.

"I'm going on a trip with my dad tomorrow morning," She said. Not a whole lie, just half. They would be leaving for a trip, but they wouldn't be coming back.

"Ah, that's too bad. I really think Derek's taken by ya," He told her, and Savannah's eyes widened in surprise at the admittance from him. She had never had a guy like her before so it caught her off guard. But she find herself oddly pleased with that.

"Really?" She asked him and he nodded.

"Yep," He told her. Silence passed over the two for several minutes before Savannah started to stand up, but as she did she felt the room spin around her. She quickly plopped back down in her seat, one of her hands holding the side of her head. Shane gave her a concerned look. "You okay?" He asked her.

"Yeah... just a little dizzy," She told him.

"Wanna go outside? The fresh air might help. It's kinda stuffy in here, and the music's really loud," He told her. She nodded her head in agreement with him, and with his help, made it outside.

As she leaned her back against the wall near the side of the gym where Shane had led them, she tipped her head back to gaze up at the stars outside. It was really pretty, but her vision was really messed up, everything was hazy and blurry. She closed her eyes and tried to lift a hand up to her head, but her arm felt too weak to move, her entire body felt too weak. Alcohol had never had this affect on her, especially after only one drink. So what was it?

As Shane rested a hand on her waist and leaned a little closer to her, she realized what it was. She had been drugged. Her entire brain went on red alert and tried to move, but her body was sluggish and wouldn't respond with the warning signals it was receiving. She managed to lift an arm up and place it on his chest, but the pushing him away part failed. He ignored her gestures and leaned in, his lips pressing firmly against her own. She turned her head and tried to pull out of his grasp.

"Stop," She told him, her voice sounding far and distant to her own ears. She could only imagine how non threateningly it sounded to him.

As his body pressed up against hers, she could feel the wall against her back more and everything in her regretted sneaking out and coming to the dance. She regretted disobeying her father, she regretted leaving the safety of their motel room; she regretted not rejecting the drink and getting her own. She was smarter than that, and should've known not to trust anyone. She regretted everything, but she couldn't take it back. And now she couldn't defend herself, she couldn't even think properly. She was panicking inside and she didn't know what to do. For once in her life, Savannah was helpless to protect herself. All those times she had almost come close to death on hunts didn't terrify her as much as this moment did.

She struggled against him as his lips moved down her neck, but even if she hadn't been drugged she wouldn't have been able to break free from his strong grip. One of his hands rested on her shoulder before moving her strap of the way, his lips replacing where it had been as his other hand rested on her stomach, inching it's way up slower. She cried out, trying to call attention over to where they were, praying someone would hear her and come to her rescue, but as the minutes past she realized no one could hear over the loud music in the gym.

She began to whimper, and when she begged him to stop, she could feel his lips smirk against her skin. Tears began to slide down her cheeks as he began to trail his hand up her leg, the hem of her dress rising with his movements; her heart raced. As his hand rested on her hip, she managed to gain some strength back and began to batter her fists against his chest. She struggled against his grip more, this time pushing through the drug. After a moment, her movements got more frantic and she was too much for him to handle so he took a step back.

"You shoulda just relaxed, woulda been easier for ya," He sneered before shoving her against the brick wall and walking away.

She winced in pain before sliding down to the ground and drawing her legs up to her body. She rested her head on top of her knees and let the tears fall freely. She was still weak, and her head was still spinning. Her body was shaking from fear and panic, and after a few moments she managed to stand up, leaning her weight against the wall, before sitting on the steps near the road. When Lucas or Dean came to get her, she'd be ready to leave. She thought about calling them, but her voice would be shaking too badly to speak. So, she'd wait.

About a half hour later, she heard the familiar rumble of the Impala's engine. She glanced up to see it coming around the corner before pulling up to the side of the street. Dean immediately hopped out of the car. He looked ready to yell at her, but upon seeing her in the state she was still in, he stopped and crouched down in front of her.

"Vanni?" He asked, his voice soft. "What's wrong? What happened? Are you okay?" He checked her over, as he had been trained to do, for any sign of injuries. She simply stared blankly ahead, not answering him. "Vanni."

"I'm fine," She managed to get out, her voice still quivering.

"You're not fine. Tell me what happened," He demanded.

"I got in over my head," She whispered to him. "Please, can we just go," She begged him.

Dean wanted to protest, but finally obliged, unable to say no to her, especially in this condition. He offered her his hand, and helped her stand. When she wobbled where she stood, his arm reached out and wrapped around her waist, helping her keep her balance. She glanced back over her shoulder at the gym, not expecting to see Shane come walking out of it. As the two locked gazes, Savannah tensed against Dean, and he noticed. He followed her gaze, his own narrowing at the senior male. Shane didn't know when enough was enough and, with a smirk upon his lips, made his way over to the two. Dean helped Savannah lean against the Impala, but stood in front of her protectively, his lips set in a tense line.

"Come to take my sloppy seconds home?" Shane sneered, and that was all Dean needed to piece everything together. The dazed look in Savannah's eyes, the way she leaned on him because she couldn't stand up on her own, the way her dress was slightly torn, the terrified look in her eyes... he knew what went down, or had a pretty good idea of it, anyway.

And he didn't think twice before lunging forward and tackling the younger boy to the ground. The two wrestled in the grass for a bit, and while Dean was slightly smaller than the Senior, he knew how to fight. The two boys exchanged punches and traded positions-from standing to wrestling-for what seemed like quite a while. Savannah was slowly gaining her clarity of thought back as the time passed, and she could do nothing but stare on as the two boys fought.

"Dean!" She shouted, trying to tear him away. "DEAN!" Her voice rose in pitch with the intensity of her shouts, but he wasn't listening. He was too focused on the boy in front of him.

Finally, some teachers from inside the gym caught wind of the fight and headed outside to break it up. Dean threw in the last punch, knocking the younger boy to the ground before he slid across the Impala and got in, Savannah already sitting in the passenger seat. As he drove off, she caught site of Derek and felt bad at the confused look he gave her as she left. She tore her gaze away from him before curling up on the leather seat. Dean glanced over at her, but didn't give her a hard time about keeping the seat clean. Instead he stayed silent and continued to drive, letting silence wash over them. She was grateful he didn't ask questions, because she wasn't sure she'd be able to answer them. But as she realized they were nearing the motel the two families were staying at, she also realized she wasn't ready to face her father yet.

"Dean..." He glanced over at his name. "Can you pull the car over?" She asked, her voice soft and broken. And he did just that, without questioning it. She noticed the white-knuckled death grip Dean had on the steering wheel of the car, his entire body screaming just how pissed he was at that guy.

With the rumble of the Impala faintly in the background, everything that had happened caught up to Savannah. Before she could stop it, tears began to flow down her cheeks and quiet sobs racked her body. She wanted to stop crying, because she hated it. She felt weak and vulnerable when she cried. But the more times she told herself to stop and get it together, the harder she cried and the more the tears fell. She felt Dean's arm go around her shoulders and slide her across the front seat, allowing her to cry into his chest. And she did just that. She balled his shirt up in her hands and leaned into him, grateful for the silent comfort he provided.


	3. Growing Up Ain't So Simple

Dean watched as Savannah stepped out of the Impala, then froze in front of the motel room door, unable to enter. He got out of the car as well, taking a deep breath. He was still on edge and really just wanted to drive back to the school and punch that sneering bastard's face in once more, but he didn't. Because Savannah needed him more than that guy deserved to get his ass kicked... again. She glanced at him over her shoulder, hearing his footsteps as he stepped up behind her. Her eyes were wide and she still looked on the verge of tears. He sighed before motioning his head to the door, signalling for her to go inside.

"You're going to have face him sooner or later," He said when she shook her head.

"I vote later," She said quietly.

"Well, you don't get a vote," He told her before motioning with his head again. "Come on, Van. Open the door."

"I can't," She said softly. "Dean, I can't."

"Yes, you can. And you're going to have to," He said before reaching around her for the doorknob and, before she could stop him, he turned it and pushed the door open.

She glared hard at him, and he smirked a little. There's the Savannah we all know and love, he thought briefly before she stepped cautiously into the room. Within two seconds, her father was up off the bed, his blue eyes blazing in fury. Savannah stepped backwards on impulse, not wanting to hear what her father had to say. Dean could tell she was just tired, and probably wanted to put the entire night behind her. But her father had other plans.

Dean stood off to the side, half-listening as Alexander scolded his daughter for going to the dance after he had specifically told her no. Dean glanced around the room, trying to find something to take his mind off the yelling and how broken and vulnerable Savannah looked at that moment. If he kept focusing on her, he'd end up saying something he'd regret later because it wasn't his place to get involved in their disagreement. His gaze fell on his father who was talking in a hushed tone on his cell phone, probably calling Lucas or Sam to let them know Savannah was back at the motel. Even though they were all pretty sure Savannah had gone to the dance, Lucas had taken Sam to do a perimeter check of the area just to be safe.

After his father hung up the phone, he leaned against the wall and watched the two arguing, having nothing else to do. Well, now time to find something else to focus on, Dean thought to himself, but Alexander's yelling was hard to ignore.

"You never think of others, only yourself!" He shouted, and Savannah simply glanced down, trying to hide how much she wanted to cry. "Did you think about how this could affect anyone else or were you purely thinking of your selfish needs and how you wanted to be a normal girl? You need to realize that what you have are little girl fantasies and they aren't coming true!"

Dean knew Alexander was angry, and he had every right to be. But he didn't think it was necessary to be that harsh to Savannah. Plus, she had suffered enough for the night, and Dean was pretty sure she wouldn't be sneaking out again. The girl had learned her lesson, and after going through what she did, she didn't need to be yelled at. So, Dean stepped forward from his place in the background. He caught the warning look his father shot him, but he ignored it. He had to say something.

"She's a teenager, Alex," Dean stated, defending her. "She snuck out. She's back. Your point's proven. We're good."

"Stay out of this," Alex said, glaring at Dean.

"I think you've yelled at her enough," Dean stated, not backing down. Savannah's blue eyes met Dean's emerald ones, wondering why he was defending her. Dean ignored the fact that if this was the normal Savannah, she would've told him to shove it because she could defend herself. And the fact she wasn't telling him that pushed him to defend her all the more.

"Don't tell me what to do, son. You're not in charge here."

"You've yelled enough," Dean told him.

"When you're a parent, then you can tell me when enough is enough."

"She's been through enough for one night, she doesn't need you yelling at her and making it worse!" Dean exclaimed, his voice rising in volume, as he stepped forward again, this time beside her. Alex ignored Dean and turned back to Savannah.

"You're irresponsible and not fit to hunt. You're done. From now on, you take Lucas with you if you have to go anywhere." Alex wasn't playing around anymore.

That seemed to be the last straw for Savannah because she glared hard at him for the first time since stepping into the motel room. "You'll never be a good enough hunter to find out what killed mom!" She snapped at him, angry tears falling down her cheeks before she fled from the motel room.

Dean watched as Alex's face fell at her words, the pain at what she said showing visibly on every line in his face. Defeat was evident, and what she said seemed to spread through to his brain quicker than a forest fire. He had instantly started believing it, doubting everything he had ever done up to this point. Dean knew the look because he had seen it on his father's face every time they had come up with a dead-end on where the creature was that killed their mother; Dean was positive the look at been on his face a few times as well. As a hunter, you always questioned whether or not the decisions you made were good enough or not, if you had chosen the right path. It was true, the saying, "Words cut you deeper than any blade." Physical injuries healed, but emotional ones would stick with you all throughout life; you'd never be able to get the words out of your brain, and they'd always repeat over in your lowest time, your biggest time of doubt.

"She's just hurt," John said stepping forward to comfort his friend now. "Give her time; she'll come around," He added. "She'll be fine."

Dean glanced at the door Savannah had exited from; he wasn't sure she'd be fine.

Savannah was rarely caught off guard in her life, but hearing Dean stand up for her was one of the moments she was taken by surprise. Her head snapped up, her sapphire eyes looking to Dean's green ones and trying to find answers as to why he was doing this. Dean ignored her questioning gaze and stood beside her, holding his own against her father. But it didn't work. Alex turned to her, and when his final words rang in her ears, she couldn't take it anymore. She snapped out the harshest reply she could think of amidst the tears falling down her cheeks then bolted for the door, needing the fresh out the outside night provided. She had stumbled into the nearest bench she could find and curled up before crying harder.

After a few moments of being alone, she felt the bench seat shift as someone's weight was placed on the other end. She didn't want to glance up; it could've been anyone from her brother to John, and she didn't want to talk to anyone really. No one would understand, and she wasn't really ready to explain it all either. She just wanted to be left alone to her thoughts, was that too much to ask for? The person didn't speak for several minutes, as if reading her mind. Whether it was because the person truly was giving her time to herself or because he was unaware of what to say was unclear to her, but she didn't care.

"He'll let you keep hunting, don't worry."

Even if she hadn't recognized the voice, the phrase was so typical of a certain person that she knew who it was. Dean. He couldn't full on voice his sympathy so he did it in a roundabout way; Savannah knew he had the capability of doing so he just chose not to. Savannah hadn't quite figured out why, and she wasn't sure she wanted to. She was glad she didn't have Dean all figured out, kept her on her toes and alert around him. He was complicated, and she liked him that way because if she ever figured him out, he'd be boring to her.

"I know..." She said softly

"I'm sorry about what happened," He finally said after several minutes of silence.

His tone was confused, lost even, like the words coming out of his mouth were foreign to him. He had apologized for something that wasn't his fault. Now, Dean Winchester often took the blame for things he didn't have to, and he often put himself in the line of danger while hunting, but he rarely apologized when he didn't have to. He rarely apologized when he did have to. 'Sorry' was not a word that was often used in Dean's vocabulary, and only when a special occasion arose. Did that make Savannah special to him? There he was, surprising her yet again.

"I shoulda punched his face in and broken a few teeth," He muttered under his breath, his hands clenching the edge of the bench they sat on.

"I'm pretty sure you broke a few of his ribs," Savannah offered, eager to get the conversation onto a lighter note. Dean smirked.

"Damn right I did," He stated, his confident tone back in place and sounding more like himself instantly. That's where her and Dean were similar, they both hated taking things too seriously and were always looking for the sarcastic or witty response as answers. Suddenly his gaze got darker. "He shouldn't have touched you; he's lucky I didn't break his jaw... or shoot him."

Savannah's eyes widened at the hard, protective tone entering Dean's voice. She had seen Dean angry and pissed off, but she had never seen him pissed off and protective before. He had never had anything to be protective of. So why now all of a sudden?

"Dean, I'm fine," She told him softly as she turned to gaze at him. She placed a hand over his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you."

Dean turned to look at her upon her two words of gratification. He nodded once as his way of saying 'you're welcome' before looking away, but she couldn't tear her gaze away from him. Dean was a complicated person to understand, but he had never been this complicating to her. She had always been able to figure him out at least a little bit. But the second she thought she had a read on him, he changed his attitude and she was left wondering what he was thinking all over again. He had apologized when he hadn't needed to, but now he couldn't even say "you're welcome" when she thanked him? And males thought females were complicated.

He glanced at her upon feeling her gaze on him. "What?" He asked.

"Nothing," She finally said, and normally she would've looked away. But being this close with his emerald orbs on her sapphire ones, she couldn't. His gaze held hers captive, and instinctively she began to lean in closer to him.

Before she realized what she had been doing, the bright headlights from a car parking shone into her face, startling the two sitting on the bench. The second before they split, Savannah became aware of just how few centimeters away she had been from kissing Dean. Her cheeks colored pink at the realization as the lights on the car died away with Lucas and Sam stepping out a few moments later. The pink turned a deeper shade of scarlet at the smirk she saw on her brother's face at what he had almost witnessed.

"Doesn't seem like you ran away at all," Lucas stated, a teasing tone in his voice as Savannah turned on the bench, facing away from the boys. She played with the hem of her dress and twirled it around her fingers, trying to ignore them as best she could. Dean glared at Lucas.

"You have impeccable timing," He told his friend sarcastically.

"Impeccable, wow. That's a big word for ya, Dean," Lucas said, this time grinning.

"Go jump off a cliff," Dean said as he rolled his eyes. He stood up off the bench and raised his arms over his head, stretching. "Come on, we should head inside," He stated. Lucas and Sam agreed before immediately heading into the hotel room. Dean started to go, but stopped when he realized Savannah wasn't following.

"I'll be inside in a moment," She told him with a small smile.

He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, not sure how he was supposed to act after what had almost taken place between them. He wanted to say something to her, but he didn't know what to say. He didn't know how he felt about what they had almost done. He wasn't sure if he had leaned in on impulse or if he had leaned in because he felt something towards her. Kissing girls was nothing new to Dean, and she was a pretty girl, but she was like his little sister. He had grown up with her practically his whole life, and you don't kiss your sisters. Plus, she was six years younger than him making her sixteen to his twenty-two. She wasn't legally of age, so nothing would be able to happen between them anyways. At that realization, Dean made up his mind. He didn't want to know if it was an impulse or because of feelings; it didn't matter. She was a minor, and her father was a part of Dean's life as well, and he valued his life. He wouldn't figure out what had happened because nothing could, and nothing would come of it. And that was that. He was going to forget about it, and act no differently.

He nodded his head. "All right. Just remember we gotta get up early in the morning to head out, so don't stay out here too long." And with that, he disappeared into the motel room.

Savannah watched him leave before she turned her gaze upward at the stars that twinkled against the dark night sky. She needed to piece together her thoughts, but they were so jumbled she wasn't sure where to start. Thoughts of the dance floated through her mind and images of the argument with her father flitted to the forefront before the almost-kiss took over her mind. Even if she tried to focus on just one thing, something else took over and craved her attention. She groaned quietly as her eyes clenched shut, willing the voices in her head to shut up.

"Vannah?"

Her eyes flitted open at the sound of her father's voice. It was soft and she could detect the apologetic tone instantly. A gentle smile fell onto her lips as he sat beside her. His gaze was out on the parking lot before him, refusing to look at her for the moment. But she was okay with that. Tonight had been such a roller coaster of emotions, she wasn't positive she could hold back the tears if he turned his eyes onto her own. She had never cried this much in her entire life, and she hoped she had gotten all the tears out for the next fifty years. Crying was exhausting.

"I'm sorry," Alexander said. "I shouldn't have said that. We need you hunting, and you're one of most selfless people I know, and you're only sixteen." He smiled at her at that. It wasn't the best apology a person could've heard, but if one knew Alexander, they would know how rubbish he was at apologies. And this was as sincere as he could get, and she was eternally grateful for it.

"I'm so sorry, daddy," She whispered quietly, feeling her eyes water once again. "I shouldn't have snuck off to the dance. I know it was wrong, I just... I wanted to know what it was like."

"I didn't tell you no because I want to ruin your life... I just didn't want you getting hurt... I know you can protect yourself against supernatural creatures, but people are a whole different level of crazy, and I wanted to be able to keep you safe." He sighed, a sad smile on his lips. "But you're sixteen, and you're not a little girl anymore. I can't keep you from growing up anymore than you can stop it. You've got a good head on your shoulders and I need to learn to let you make your own decisions more often. You've grown into a capable young lady, and I'm proud of you."

Hearing the words spill out of her father's lips was the crack in the dam, and the tears spilled out onto her cheeks. She sniffled, trying to hold it back, but it was useless. To hear her father tell her he was proud of her was the biggest compliment she could've received. It was the most sincere and genuine thing he could've told her. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. In that moment, she swore to always do her best to make her father proud because that was the best feeling.

"I love you, daddy," She told him, a smile through the tears. "And I'll always be your little girl."

Alexander laughed softly. "Good. Because I wouldn't have it any other way," He said as he hugged his daughter back.


End file.
